False smiles
by Gh0StWr1teR1
Summary: "Sakura Mikan, would you do the honour of being my wife?" Natsume and Mikan can finally be together after 6 years of separation. Ruka always respected their love for each other but the past year has really taken its toll. How much longer can he continue to smile? Natsume X Mikan, Ruka X Hotaru (Also other characters from the academy or made up)
1. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I do not own the manga or anime for Gakuen Alice. All credits go to Tachibai Higuchi**

**Author's note:**

Just for some background knowledge, this story takes place after the manga finishes. Somehow after a miraculous adventure (which I am not going to write or attempt to think of a proper storyline), the Imai siblings have returned to the academy (again, with probably some major plot flaws they are both 6 years older i.e. Mikan, Hotaru, Natsume and Ruka are all 17 now (as one year has passed since their return). Ok, on with the story…

A year had passed since the Imai siblings had returned from their time warp. It seemed like everything but nothing had changed since the academy was infiltrated 7 years ago. Despite the fact that Natsume and himself had already skipped a couple of years in order to leave the academy to search for Hotaru and her brother, the two were currently attending class with their original homeroom. Connections with the High school president were quite useful and Mikan can be quite persuasive.

The winter frost was beginning to thaw, giving the academy a glistening sparkle brought about by the rare glimpses of sunlight peeking through the clouds. Ruka made his way towards the barn, deciding to make a detour through the woods. Tori, the overly sized yellow chick, may have already awoken from hibernation as the snow had begun to melt (birds in general do not hibernate but Tori was a special case). Ruka strolled down the path, previously this journey would have been much more arduous as this path lead straight past Mr Bear's house. Now that Mikan was finally friends with the agro plushy, and more importantly Bear was far away keeping her grandfather company, Ruka could walk the path without the fear of being pulverised.

A sweet voice echoed through the empty forest, complementing the morning calls of birds chirping throughout the tree tops. Ruka did not need to see the singer in order know the voice's owner. Sakura Mikan. He could identify her warm laughter and clear voice anywhere. He unconsciously took a step towards the direction of her melody, stopping as a dark thought crossed his mind. By the sounds of it, Mikan was alone. Ever since the day Natsume returned, Ruka knew his chances with the girl he loved were crushed. It made him sick, the jealousy which seemed to hang over like a dark cloud refusing to budge. He told himself over and over again that he didn't have the right to feel envious. He should feel proud that his best friend had finally opened up to another person, that Natsume actually smiled and valued his life because of Mikan. He should also be glad and content with Mikan's happiness. If he truly loved her, surely her genuine smile should be enough… But it wasn't… Ruka didn't trust himself alone with her. He was worried that his feelings would come gushing out and confuse her. The last thing he wanted was for their friendship to be hindered…and confessing his love to her would only result in distancing them from each other.

The feelings he felt for Mikan were cruel… but inflicting his own pain upon her would be unforgiveable. A high pitched scream wrenched Ruka back to reality, a cold sweat ran down his back as he ran towards the noise's source.

"NATSUME, don't scare me like that! I thought I was going to have a heart attack! I swear the next time you creep up on me I'll file a restraining order!" cried Mikan, however anyone could hear the edge of humour in her voice.

"Sure Polka, I think we both know you're in denial though." Laughed Nastume, only tightening his grip on her.

Ruka felt his heart sink in relief and to his horror disappointment, what kind of person was he? He should be feeling glad, heck he should be smiling at the perfect couple! Not brooding over a romance which wasn't even plausible.

"What're you doing here anyway? Mr Bear is with your Grandfather isn't he?" asked Natsume still hugging his girlfriend tightly.

"Yeah… I promised that I'd keep his cabin clean, I mean he's helping Jii-chan out so it's only fair that I take responsibility for his share of housework." A hint of longing tarnished Mikan's smile. Natsume frowned, unable to bear seeing the slightest trace of despair on her face. Anger, yes he was fine with seeing her spirited pout (usually pointed at him for his perverted comments), but any misery was enough to make his heart wrench.

"Mikan… I'm sorry I can't make your home sickness go away. I'm sorry that I'm not really the kind of person who can com-" Natsume was cut off as Mikan claimed his mouth as her own, kissing his words away.

"Don't apologise Natsume, I couldn't possibly feel lonely with you by my side." Whispered Mikan, resting her head on his chest sighing contentedly.

"Mikan…" said Natsume suddenly serious. She gasped in response, recognising this captivating tone of voice. The voice which had caused her to be in a fluster so many years ago, just before the last dance of the Academy's celebration night. "I- I don't want you to feel lonely, or lost ever again… I know we exchanged stones long ago, but I want to do this properly" murmured Natsume. He wordlessly knelt down on one knee, looking up at the shocked expression of the woman he loved. He smiled, an action which used to be impossible. She changed that, she had changed everything. Natsume took out a small velvet case and opened the lid.

"Sakura Mikan, would you do the honour of being my wife?" he asked, never breaking the intense gaze he gave her. Mikan was rendered speechless, her eyes flicking between Natsume and the ring her held in his hand, a perfectly shaped red stone decorated the golden band.

Ruka couldn't bear to listen or view this any longer, silently reprimanding himself for listening in on the couple's private conversation. The bird chirping in his ear flew off in a fright as he strode away from Mr Bear's clearing. Not paying much attention to where his feet took him, he just needed to get away, as far as possible. Ruka's stalk slowly came to a stop, his throat and lungs hurt from the cold air and his legs were freezing, dripping in the dirty sludge of mud and melting snow. He felt like laughing at himself. What a mess, confronting something in the woods he simply ran away like a frightened child. Shaking his head he decided to look up and try to navigate where he had ended up after his immature, spineless escape.

The barn… oh, yeah remembered Ruka, looking down at the packet of treats he had bought for the animals last week in town. Suddenly aware of the pains in his hand, cramped from gripping the packaging for so long. Sighing once more, he slowly turn open the barn door to be greeted by the animals he loved. It calmed him, the hushed sounds of feet, small and large against the soft mud floor, caked with hay. Ruka slipped off his snow jacket, suddenly sweltering from the warmth produced by so many bodies. He dropped to his knees welcoming their friendly nuzzles and kisses. The sound of rustling plastic, caused by an enthusiastic rodent, reminded him to open the treats setting aside a bowl so that they could snack.

Ruka sat with his back to a stall, glumly watching the animals eat. He didn't deserve their love… He was cheap, and weak, the only way he felt accepted was by using his pheromone alice. It was disgusting, he disgusted himself. The rabbit playfully nibbling at his finger, stopped fearfully thumping its foot before bounding away. A small flash caught in the corner of Ruka's eye, noticing another of Hotaru's inventions. What was it called again? The Ultimately disguised speedy tortoise-cam? Something ridiculous like that anyway. Of course its mission was to capture embarrassing photographs of Ruka so that Imai could sell them at a ridiculous profit to fan girls throughout the school.

He made a grab for the device, quickly snatching a limb before it tucked into its shell making it near impossible to destroy. The tortoise squirmed helplessly as he let it hang mercilessly in the air. Fuck it, there's no point in destroying this bugger, Imai would simply find another way of taking embarrassing photos probably even worse as pay back for destroying one of her devices. He let the toy drop, covering his eyes with a hand suddenly developing a headache.

"You need to smile more, that was a pathetic photo shoot." Stated a monotone voice from beside him. Ruka didn't bother to look up, no longer surprised by Hotaru, such as how she managed to appear without opening the door… or perhaps she was simply hiding here the whole time. It was probably above his head and he really didn't need to think about her crazy stalking skills at this moment.

"Well, I do apologised for not always complying with your needs Imai" replied Ruka sarcastically. Hotaru felt troubled, it was unusual for Ruka not to be surrounded by the barn animals… it seemed like they were actively avoiding the teen, huddled in a corner furthest away from the animal pheromone bearer. Of course none of this crossed her irrefutable polka face. Hotaru sat beside the gloomy teen uninvited, desperately thinking of what she could do. The means of this situation was not cryptic. Hotaru had already seen the ring Natsume had made up for Mikan, he'd had it since before Christmas but was too shy to present it… Of course it hurt, she too loved Mikan but she knew her best friend viewed her as simply that, a friend. Hotaru had learnt to be content, her relationship with her brother had improved immensely and Mikan still treasured her as the first person to run to if she had a problem.

Ruka on the other hand had lived with hope… There was a time even Hotaru thought Mikan would end up with Ruka. After watching the sleeping beauty play and seeing Natsume's expression, she knew Ruka wouldn't have the heart to break his best friend's.

Various inventions ran through her head as Hotaru tried to think of remedies to the situation. Ironically the machine she had created to cheer people up was in fact a copy of Mikan herself… the cause of the situation. Hotaru decided to steal another glance at her friend and immediately regretted it. Ruka had moved his hand so it no longer shielded his eyes which were presently cast downwards. Hotaru had been prepared for seeing grief, hopelessness or even tears but… not… disgust.

It scared her, as much as she didn't want to admit it… Ruka really had grown old. No longer was he the lost slightly cowardly child, he had the face of a person who had already given up, who loathed life, who had lost their meaning. Shit, he really had fooled her… Hotaru would never have guessed how low he had slumped, he had acted so… normal so 'Ruka-pyon' like. Blushing, chasing after her merchandise. He was still prince charming of the school… but this wasn't the face of someone going through a low patch… This was the face of long term damage.

"Well, Imai finally got you to break that poker face huh." Ruka laughed humourlessly an empty smile decorated his face not reaching the hard cold eyes which now bore into her. Hotaru said nothing, honing her facial expressions once more. She felt slightly guilty, this past year Natsume and Mikan were practically in their own universe, it was only to be expected the star crossed lovers had their head in the clouds after being reunited. She didn't really have an excuse though, becoming accustomed to missing 6 years didn't actually take too much effort as she had already accomplished the academic requirements. Ruka laughed again, it was a sound she was really beginning to hate.

"Don't think badly of yourself, really I'm just too weak to be salvaged. Even now, haha I've kind of failed again. Can't even protect the happiness of three people. It's pathetic really, I could smile and put on a fake act now but… what's the point you probably wouldn't believe me now if I tried." He continued apathetically. Hotaru steeled herself and returned his gaze, trying to ignore the uneasiness she felt from his empty eyes.

"You have been protecting us… All that time Nastume was searching of Mikan you never gave in and convinced him he was worthy of her. I gave those mushroom ear buds to you, because I knew you'd keep a steady head and find me… You were even compatible with the alice used to protect others." Said Hotaru quietly, desperate to show Ruka how important he was to them all.

Ruka sighed tiredly, Hotaru was glad he had stopped his hollow laughter, it sent chills down her back. She continued to watch him worriedly as he closed his eyes once more. He really was handsome… there was something prince-like in his manner and appearance even in his tired state like this… Hotaru mentally slapped herself. Stupid hormones… jumping into post puberty was a massive shock on her after 6 years stuck in the time warp.

His sudden jump to stand up startled her as he reach down and offered her a hand. "Come on, we should congratulate the happy couple!" smiled Ruka back to his stereotypical polite and genial manner. Hotaru took his hand, allowing herself to be pulled up an action which she would usually never allow.

"Ruka, you don't have to pretend around me. I understand you not wanting Natsume or Mikan to know how you actually feel but… there's no reason to act around me, you know I'm not the sort of person to shatter." Said Hotaru quietly, finding it easier to talk to him now that he'd stopped laughing cruelly. She had never really reflected on how things had turned out. Mikan had Natsume, she had her brother… and Ruka, he was simply left with smiling for the happiness bestowed on others. There was a time Hotaru herself nearly slipped into depression, Mikan was there for her though she also had her brother, near death experiences really makes bonds with people. Ruka seemed to play the same role for Natsume keeping his friend's head above the water. Now Mikan had Natsume to support her and vice versa. They'd all neglected him, forgetting the supporters needed support. Ruka let go of Hotaru's hand walking over to where he had left his jacket.

"I wish I had your strength, Imai" he murmured quietly, quietly making his way to the door and stepping into the blinding white scenery created by snow and sunlight.

Hotaru shivered, convincing herself it was due to the cold draft from the open door and not the empty eyes of the person who stood there.

**Thankyou for actually reading this far :D this is my first Gakuen Alice fan fiction (I'm quite new to writing fan fics in general so any comments would be greatly appreciated). THANKYOU again.**


	2. Dismay

Hotaru was expecting an overly excited, noisy girl bounding up to her room. Fully equipped with a horse shoe and Baka-gun (the Baka-cannon was saved for more dire situations), she was ready to confront her best friend.

"HOOOTAAARUUUUUU!" screamed Mikan leaping through the air, arms outstretched in an attempt to capture the latter in a colossal bear hug. Hotaru's Baka gun was poised at the ready, Mikan was so predictable if the girl really wanted a hug then she'd need to think of a new technique.

BAKA-BAKA-BAKA

Mikan went flying in the opposite direction of her friend, crashing into the wall at the end of the hall.

"Hotaaaaru! You're so mean!" cried out Mikan, nursing a newly formed bruise pulsating from what Hotaru found to be an already empty skull. It was for this reason that she felt no qualms about Mikan suffering multiple head injuries… Honestly, there wasn't much to be lost.

"What did you want to tell me then? It's rather early in the day for this amount of noise." Stated Hotaru, pretending she didn't know what the fuss was about. Despite her seemingly violent love towards Mikan, Hotaru knew how badly Mikan wanted to 'break' the news to her best friend. Mikan was presently turning a violent shade of red. Smiling shyly. Hotaru sighed, pretending this 'bashful' Mikan was frustrating. In truth she felt an overwhelming happiness for her best friend, Hotaru had long accepted that Natsume and Mikan were destined to share each other's lives. "Well? What is it?" prompted Hotaru again, pulling off her Horse shoe glove.

"W- ell… aa-…. Na-Nats… Ga- …" Mikan's incomprehensible mumbling deteriorated into a high pitched squeal. Blushing even further she thrust out her left hand, hiding her face in her knees. Hotaru took her friend's trembling hand, analysing the ring Nastume had made up for her. It was a delicate golden ring ornamented with a small red alice stone. No doubt it was Natsume's alice stone, as if to reinforce his dedication to Mikan the stone was small, showing how much he valued the life he wished to share with her.

"Congratulations Mikan." Whispered Hotaru, pulling her friend into a rare embrace. Mikan blinked back tears of joy, laughing merrily.

" WHAT IS THIS RACKET! IT'S FRIDAY MORNING FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!" Screamed Sumire, storming out of her two star room towards the two culprits.

"Ahh, Permy I'm sorry I just needed to tell Hotaru something!" cried Mikan quickly, looking guilty. Sumire frowned, something wasn't quite right about the blushing brunette… Sumire didn't need her heightened senses from her alice to notice the glimmer on Mikan's ring finger. Any woman would notice an engagement ring, and Sumire was definitely not an exception.

"OH MY GOD, MIKAN!" she squealed in delight, "YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!" Sumire jumped in delight, pulling her so called enemy into a tight embrace. The past six years had caused the girl to reflect upon their situation and whole heartedly give up on Natsume. As beautiful as he was, she was willing to allow the perfect pair without interference. This was something she took very seriously, any incompetent girl or boy looking at either Natsume or Mikan soon found out they were 'off-limits'.

Sumire's words brought the entire floor of occupants out of their rooms. Mikan and Natsume were definitely deemed the hottest most romantic couple in the entire school (however those from the high school division were the hardest shippers). Hotaru made a stealthy escape, leaving her friend to deal with the hoard of hormonal teenage girls.

Hotaru was glad for their tough love relationship, her Baka-gun being extremely efficient at warding off screaming newly engaged women. Truthfully she didn't want Mikan to get too close and realise something was bothering the dark haired inventor. Hotaru simply hoped that Mikan's trip to cloud nine would have her distracted. Today was Mikan's day and Hotaru wanted it to be perfect for the girl she fell in love with. As did Ruka. It was as if the morning's events had never occurred Ruka conversed, smiled and laughed along with their classmates as all the girls squealed over Mikan's engagement ring and boys whooped at Natsume's luck. Hotaru couldn't help but watch Ruka throughout the day, unconsciously searching for a hint of depression in his smiles. Nobody else had noticed either, but Hotaru did not find that reassuring… She prided herself on noticing the details no one else did. She felt as if she had failed one of her best friends, at least that's what she thought to justify the tug in her heart whenever he was near.

-PURCHASE -

-PHOTOS OF THE HAPPY COUPLE-

-THROUGHOUT THE YEARS-

-LIMITED TIME ONLY-

Hotaru sighed as she continued to wave her sign, today had been a good profit. Ever since she caught glimpse of the ring Natsume purchased she had been compiling photos, old and new of Mikan and Natsume. Being the kind soul she was Mikan was given a specially bound edition… at a discount of course. The 'insert your face cupid' photograph was by far the best seller, Hotaru was careful to note which merchandise sold the most as not to waste any material for the engagement party and eventual wedding. The sun began to set, filling the partly cloudy sky with a hazy array of warm colours. It had been a while since the last sunset, spring truly was on its way. Soon the school would be filled with cherry blossoms, perfect for valentine's day… An idea popped into Hotaru's head, talking out a notebook she jotted down various ways she could exploit her fellow students for more rabbits… and ways in which Mikan's new partnership could boost the sales. Of course Ruka would be even more of a sell-out now that Natsume was definitely taken… she paused, thinking back at that time in the barn. She had not been prepared for his break down… no, it wasn't as if he snapped… more overflowed after bottling up his emotions for so long. Perhaps she should ease off on exploiting him for a while…

"You're still here?" came a gentle voice from behind. Hotaru didn't need to turn to know whom the voice came from. She felt peeved that he actually managed to sneak up on her… She couldn't make her mind up; whether she was becoming less alert or if it was simply due to Ruka becoming more reticent. Ruka took her silence as acknowledgment of him standing there, Imai made it clear whether or not your presence was welcome.

"Large, medium and small photos are 20, 10 and 5 rabbits each… I suppose I could give you a discount of 20%, seeing as you're my best selling model." Informed Hotaru, finally packing away the remaining merchandise.

"I'm good… Why would I need a photograph when I get to see real time action of the happy couple every minute?" asked Ruka rhetorically sitting on the edge of her table. Hotaru paused, before hastily continuing to clear away the items, not wanting Ruka to notice her careful watch over him. They remained in silence as Hotaru systematically packed away the stand, table and all, into a machine which resembled a giant snail, making quiet -_poot-poot-_ noises as it moved down the path.

"What was the point of coming out here? Are you feeling lonely then?" asked Hotaru bluntly, deciding the best course of action would be to act her normal painfully honest self. Ruka laughed, it wasn't as cold and spiteful as the morning's chuckle but it still lacked humour.

"Hmm, maybe can't tell really. Or perhaps I was simply dying to be in your presence, captivated by your understated majestic beauty." He joked mischievously, casting across his signature best-selling (quite literally as she did sell his expressions) smiles. Hotaru simply glared in response, knowing he was acting in jest. Despite her brain's knowledge she couldn't control the rapid beating of her heart as his eyes met her own, with the setting sun lighting his golden hair… he really did look regal. Yet again Hotaru unconsciously berated herself for being so naïve and ignorant, fully taken in by his prince charming smiles for an entire year before noticing the dark storm underneath his gilded exterior. They paused, reaching a fork in the road as one path lead to the male and female dormitories. "Hotaru, I trust you'll keep this to yourself." spoke Ruka, it wasn't a question. Hotaru turned, refusing to look at her friend or promise him anything she pulled on the snail-bot's lead lethargically. Ruka frowned at her lack of a response. "Imai listen I need you to pro-" he spoke again more aggressively.

"I'm not going to promise anything to you with your present state of mind." Said Hotaru, cutting him of sharply.

"You don't have the right to do whatever you like with my life." He shot back, Hotaru jumped surprised at the venom in his voice. "I've lived for long enough with your immoral, fraudulent means of making money using photographs of me without my consent! I'm not going to let you destroy the happiness of the two people I've been struggling to maintain. It's my life and frankly I don't think it's your place to make decisions about it." He snarled causing Hotaru to turn and flee, now she understood the feelings of the barn animals this morning as they shivered in the furthermost corner. "I'm not letting you go until I have your word." He said, violently grabbing Hotaru's wrist and pulling her backwards. Despite the fearful situation, she couldn't help but feel excited by their close proximity. His tight grip caused her to gasp in pain.

"Ow-" Hotaru quickly bit her lip to stop any further noise escaping. Ruka suddenly let go causing both of them to step back away from one another due to the force exerted from both parties.

Ruka stared at his hands, truly horrified at the violence they had just committed. Both breathed heavily, shocked at what had just occurred. As long as Hotaru had known, Ruka never showed violence or anger as intense as what she had just experienced.

"Hotaru, I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…" He whispered shakily walking backwards, making as much distance as he could between them. He was a danger… a real physical danger to his friends. Hotaru was stunned, unable to move she stared and watched her friend fade into the shadows of dusk.

_Hello dedicated readers  
>Please tell me if this story is any good and if it'd be worthwhile continuing.<p>

THANKYOU.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't until he reached his dormitory that Ruka noticed how tense his muscles were. His hands shook so violently that it took multiple attempts to open his door. It was a Friday night so most of the occupants on his floor had left to celebrate the weeks end at central town. Despite this, Ruka winced at the loud noise his keys made when they dropped to the floor. After his fifth attempt he finally managed to enter his room. Despite throwing away his three stars years ago, believing he didn't deserve them, Ruka simply gained them back after skipping multiple year levels. If anything he simply accepted the stars for the greater monthly allowance of rabbits they entailed. It wasn't like he was a big spender… Ruka felt that it was important to save up… for who? Well, he'd be lying to himself if it wasn't for Mikan. Despite knowing she was never his… Ruka had nurtured a weak, pathetic strand of hope over the years. That part of him, along with the rest of his entirety filled him with self-loathing. His violence against Hotaru today was simply another indication of how low he had slumped.

The purplish grey tinge of twilight was replaced with an inky black sky studded with shining stars. How many times had Ruka looked up at the moon, wondering if Mikan also gazed at the graceful nocturnal sun. On his desk lay a letter, the research department made it clear that they found Natsume and Ruka's decision to return to high school as being foolish and a waste of time. In the heat of the moment Ruka felt strong and resolute. That may have been partly due to Natsume's tenacious nature, arguing with the head of department for permission of their leave. Ruka sighed knocking his head against the door he had slumped against. For years he had followed in Natsume's shadow, he felt no resentment towards his best friend only more anger at his own weak will. Ruka laughed at himself, the shudders causing his chest to swell painfully threatening to turn into sobs. Silent tears ran down his cheeks… it was impossible to follow Natsume now… Mikan was his alone. Ruka sniffed, roughly wiping away his tears as he slowly staggered towards his desk. His lamp filled the room with a warm yellow glow as he wrote a letter, detailing his return to research.

A chilly breeze brought Hotaru back to her senses, Ruka had long slinked into the shadows as the moon was now high in the sky. She purposely didn't check the time, scared of how long she had stood, frozen in shock. Taking a deep breath she turned and walked towards the girls' dormitories, towing her Snail transporter behind her. The quiet -_poot-poot—_noises invoked a more melancholy feeling than she intended. Hotaru strived to make her inventions as friendly and entertaining as possible, her own little way of making people smile as her social skills were definitely not up to scratch. Ever since she met Mikan her friend was always a large factor in her planning of the design, she knew how much Mikan loved animals and it made the entire exercise seem more comical… Animals really were more accessible than hard, rectangular shaped machinery. Perhaps that was why Ruka was such an approachable person. The only reason people shied away from talking to him was due to his constant accompaniment of Natsume. The two boys arrived to the Academy before Hotaru and it was only later that Ruka began to smile more readily and easily blush in Mikan's presence. His prior stoic persona was a childish act as he convinced himself that he didn't deserve to be happy so long as Natsume suffered. Hotaru felt her face flush uncomfortably, knowing that her blush was not due to the night's chilly air but because of a certain young man's intensity as he gripped her wrist. His animosity both scared and thrilled her, she had never seen him display such open emotion. This was also the first time Ruka used his animal pheromone as a means of repulsion instead of comfort. It wasn't easy to scare her…but at that moment Hotaru was utterly terrified.

The building was quiet as per usual on a Friday night, making it simpler for Hotaru to haul the snail up the staircase. She installed 'suction wheels' enabling the snail to slide along the wall, overcoming the difficulty of stairs. Despite this convenience the protrusion of the snail from the wall left little space for passer-by's to walk up and down the stairs. The first floor housed the one stars, the second floor the two stars, the third floor the three stars whilst the fourth floor housed special stars. At the moment there were no special stars or for that matter nobody was a no star either meaning that the attic and fourth floor were empty in the girl's building. Whilst Mikan was still a one star Hotaru expected that most of her time would now be spent in her boyfriend's much more spacious special star accommodation. Despite there being more than enough rooms, she also figured that Mikan would also be sharing his king sized bed. The entire ordeal reminded her of the 'sticky rice flour incident' when Tsubasa played a practical joke on them just before the Hana festival. As a result Hotaru became firmly stuck to Ruka and Yoichi, Natsume had also grabbed Mikan's arm so that he could also attend the Hana-den party. At dinner Koko revealed Mikan's thoughts of being unfortunately attached to Natsume instead of Ruka, Hotaru didn't need to see his face to know that Ruka was blushing furiously… at that time was Ruka still mentally stable? Hotaru felt as if every memory they shared together was now plagued with doubt and confusion… just when did Ruka begin to slip down into the spiral of depression? Later that night as they slept in Hotaru's room she asked Ruka about her suspicions of Natsume and Mikan faking their attachment, Ruka didn't reply however there was an unspoken mutual agreement. Is that when he finally began to give up on Mikan?

These troublesome thoughts swirled around Hotaru's mind as she took a shower and prepared for bed. Unfortunately the rush of warm water did little to appease her uneasiness. Hotaru drew back her curtain noticing that Ruka's lamp was on, she took care in choosing her room maximising the possible photo opportunities of the animal prince. She had installed a beetle cam on his window sill but had not yet used any of the footage taken… it might be too risky to sell photographs of Ruka in his private room. She had kept it as a safety net for extreme blackmailing in case the occasion ever arose. Ruka was currently writing something on his desk, occasionally rubbing his eyes from fatigue. Hotaru began to question her own actions, why was watching her friend do such a simple task so calming? Was it because his face showed an expression of concentration instead of self-loathing? Hotaru hated how much she had begun questioning everything these feelings of uneasiness were definitely due to worry over her friend's mental health _friend _whilst they were close that's all she felt for him… right?

Hotaru woke to the sound of Mikan's rapid knocking on her door… that and the yelp of pain which followed. The inventor immediately assumed that Mikan had tried to open her door and was currently being zapped by her electric shock security mechanism.

"AAAAAAAH HOTARU! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!" cried Mikan from the other side of her door. Hotaru suppressed a smile as she walked to her door.

"Baka, what do you think would happen if you tried to break an entry?" she stated rhetorically. Tears streamed down her friend's face as she gazed up from a mess on the floor.

"Be-because I'd thought you'd make an identification system which would distinguish me from a criminal." Wailed Mikan.

"I did… your fingerprints indented on the doorknob identify you as Sakura Mikan… the system then applies a higher voltage than normal intruders." Replied her friend, showing no mercy. "Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be with your fiancé?" asked Hotaru surprised that Natsume had let her go, he could be rather possessive at times.

"I wanted to try a new cake store which just opened in central town with everyone. Ever since we came back to the academy I feel as if we've all kinda separated." Sighed Mikan looking slightly downcast.

"Isn't that because you've been occupied with Natsume every hour of the day?" said Hotaru flatly. Mikan had the grace to look embarrassed.

"W-well yeah, but I want to make it up to you and Ruka. It'd be just like the old times!" Mikan smiled, practically radiating happiness. Hotaru inwardly cringed at her innocent naivety… things could never be how they were seven years ago… not for Ruka anyway.

"I was going into central town to buy some stationary anyway so I suppose I'll join you." Sighed Hotaru, pretending Mikan's request was really quite a disposition on her part.

"YAAAAY!" cried the brunette catching Hotaru off-guard and jumping into a hug. Hotaru smiled at her best friend, hoping that Ruka was emotionally ready for today.

The new café was actually run by Anna Umenomiya's elder sister Miruku, who also possessed the cooking alice. Luckily Anna's sister was more conservative with her recipes concentrating more on taste and fulfilment, rather than experimenting with various effects. The four friends sat on a table meant to accommodate six people as Hotaru's plates of sweets took up a vast portion of the available space. Naturally she sat opposite to Ruka as Natsume and Mikan continued to swoon over one another. Both Ruka and Hotaru acted as if nothing had occurred between them the day before, she did however notice how Ruka avoided eye contact with anyone, especially her. Luckily Natsume and Mikan didn't suspect anything suspicious between them as there wasn't usually much of a conversation between Hotaru and Ruka. After she began tackling her fifth cake she noticed that Ruka had barely eaten a morsel of his panna cotta.

"Ok, Ruka spit it out. What's been bothering you all day?" asked Natsume finally voicing the suspicions he had been housing for quite some time. Noticing how distracted his friend had been since the morning. Hotaru paused shovelling food in her mouth, feeling her heart begin to pick up the pace nervously. Ruka smiled guiltily, scratching the back of his head under his friend's piercing glare.

"Actually, I'm thinking of going back into research by February." Laughed Ruka, letting Natsume believe that he had solved the basis of Ruka's odd behaviour. Hotaru couldn't help but marvel at the way in which he seamlessly tricked Natsume into thinking he had solved the situation, carefully hiding his underlying problems.

"Eh? But what about graduating? You need to stay so we can all graduate together with the rest of our class!" cried Mikan, dismayed that Ruka was planning on moving out of their class.

"We've already graduated, stupid. It's not like we're going to be presented with a certificate twice." Stated Natsume unable to help himself from insulting Mikan. This earned a pout from his girlfriend, they all knew this feeling of anger was very short lived.

"But seriously Ruka," said Natsume turning back to his friend, "is Professor Nigawi pressuring you again? Just be firm with him and say you'll join them again in a year." Ruka shook his head.

"No, they're not pressuring me… I just feel that I'd be spending my time better by helping search for a cure to the life-shortening alice issue." Said Ruka earnestly, gaining an uneasy expression from Natsume and a slight frown from Mikan. Both of which wanted the best for their friend, trying not to be selfish by guilt-tripping him into staying at the academy. Hotaru said nothing and continued to eat her desserts as if Ruka's decision had no effect on her whatsoever. She was in fact trying her hardest not to cry in despair at the thought of Ruka leaving just as she started to accept the new feelings she felt for the broken prince.

**Thankyou for reading so far! Sorry for the lack of plot development in this chapter… hehehe. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Characters: **

**Ruka Nogi, **

**Asuna (haven't thought of surname yet- new made up character… Tsubasa / Midori's age in this time frame… appearance, long purple hair… pretty much the only description so far…)**

**Hotaru Imai**

**Yuu Tobita (fractional appearance)**

**Kokoro Yome**

A fortnight had pasted since Ruka returned to the research faculty, he was currently reading through various case studies of how the current drugs affected various individuals with the life-shortening alice. It made for grim reading, most of the patients were under sixteen years of age when they started taking the medication, showing trends of increased schizophrenia in those who reached an age old enough for the disease to develop. More alarmingly a large portion of those taking the medication had died before they reached 18, of course their age of death depended greatly on the function of their alice. How 'beneficial' or 'advantageous' their talent was deemed. Ruka wasn't in the best of moods before starting this task and had found his temperament rapidly deteriorating.

"Woah, I reckon you need a coffee break." Came an amused laugh from behind. Ruka quickly turned to greet his colleague with an easy smile, reminding himself to refrain from allowing his emotions to so plainly express themselves on his face.

"Asuna, I thought you were at the hospital today. It is Thursday isn't it?" queried Ruka, slightly worried about his internal sense of time. Asuna laughed, smoothly pushing back her long mane of dark purple hair.

"Yes, yes it is a Thursday. Chill, you've been really uptight lately. It's Valentine's day tomorrow and the hospital staff shooed us away early so that we didn't, "stress out the patients" with our "excessive questioning" seeing as tomorrow is supposed to be extra special." Chuckled Asuna, still smiling at his moment of confusion.

"Yeah… Better to let them enjoy their life as much as possible…" said Ruka quietly. An awkward silence emerged between the two researchers, both fully aware of how little time those staying in the hospital had left. Asuna cleared her throat, trying to shake of the gloomy atmosphere which had just descended.

"Well… it's already five thirty, so I reckon you're done for the day anyway. Let's go get that coffee!" Asuna beamed, lifting a burden off Ruka's chest he didn't even know was there.

"Sure, I'll just borrow these references." Said Ruka, relieved for Asuna's cheerful company. He, rolled his shoulders feeling slightly cramped after sitting down for so long in the library. She waited patiently as he gathered and organised the various files which were sprawled across the large wooden table.

"You know, you shouldn't let Nigawi take advantage of you. I get your hard working and everything, but showing that isn't gonna make him love you any more it will simply cause him to increase your workload." Sighed Asuna as the pair left the library, comfortably making their way towards the café. Ruka simply shrugged, showing the workload didn't bother him. Truthfully he was grateful for how little spare time he had… as dreary as the life-shortening alice papers were, Ruka still put them over brooding about Mikan and Natsume. At least there was a point towards thinking about this depressing topic. Ruka stifled a groan as they opened the shop's door. The entire interior had been transformed into one giant, pink catastrophe. Little red hearts littered the windows, chairs, the curtains, table cloths and even the carpet. Asuna laughed brazenly at his mortified reaction. "Your expression is priceless! Where is a camera when I need one?!" Ruka simply sighed, feeling a sweat drop from the back of his head. Priceless? Hoho oh no, on the contrary. He was quite sure that Hotaru would be able to market that photo for a hefty sum.

"Hello—can – I – help - you?" came a sweet, robotic voice. Ruka looked around, puzzled about the voice's whereabouts.

"Ah! It's so cute!" cried Asuna, kneeling down to greet the small pink penguin which held a pen and notepad. Ruka was stunned… it was almost an exact replica of the penguin which had accompanied Mikan, Natsume Tsubasa and himself years ago when the group sneaked into the high school division, chasing after the people who sent Imai to hospital in order to find a cure. No, it wasn't that prototype… the penguin willingly let itself fall into oblivion allowing Mikan to return to the Academy via the closing portal. How long ago it all seemed… more than a couple of years…

After receiving their orders from a real waitress (the penguin bumped into a server causing the employee to trip and smash their tray of drinks resulting in the robot being prohibited from helping to serve customers), the two finally managed to sit down and relax.

"Oh, woops it's already 6 O'clock, huh… Maybe we should've gone out to have dinner instead." Laughed Asuna checking her watch. Ruka absentmindedly gazed out the window watching couples pass by, getting ready for Valentine's day. That was something he would definitely _not _miss about the academy. An entire day of evading manic, hormonal teenage girls attempting to force feed their hazardous chocolates contaminated with various toxic substances… He shuddered involuntarily at the thought. "Wow, what's with the scary face?" asked Asuna, she hadn't really thought too much about Ruka and Natsume when they first joined the research team. Well of course she was curious about how these young kids managed to skip a three years to graduate and get out of the academy early. They seemed really close knit though, almost untouchable like they were living in their own little world where only one thing mattered and if anything came to jeopardise their plans… it wouldn't remain a factor for very long. Well that's the impression she got from Nastume anyway… he was good looking but there was an air of 'danger' which surrounded him, being such an imposing figure Ruka had blended into the background like a wall flower. That being said, she didn't doubt that many of the girl researchers were preparing chocolate for both of them… those bold enough to not care about the 'cougar' remarks from others too shy.

"So, what's up? You never really explained why Natsume stayed at the academy while you came back." Asuna was more demanding than asking for a better answer than the vague replies she had received from him throughout the week.

"Well, I suppose he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his fiancé." Sighed Ruka tiredly. Asuna spat out the coffee she was attempting to drink.

"HOW IS THAT NOT BIG NEWS! ARE YOU SERIOUS WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING EARLIER!" exclaimed Asuna incredulously, gawking at Ruka's impossibly calm demeanour. News (in the way of gossip) seemed to reach the research faculties last, the team only found out about Mikan and Natsume's romantic star-crossed lovers' story _after _the pair left to bring back her memories. The academy actively kept all its activities secret from central town's inhabitants. Not many graduates actually stayed in the district, as most of them were scouted and taken away from their families. A vast majority left the area and found jobs in 'normal' society, wishing for their children to be normal. As the probability of a child inheriting the 'alice trait' was much higher when both parents had alices. The last group of people were researchers, choosing this path pretty much put away the chance of having a family. All of the workers new about the dark secrets and child exploitation which occurred at the academy, ultimately leading them to look for a cure.

Ruka laughed awkwardly, "Well Natsume wanted it on the 'down-low', so please don't spread the news around." Asuna recovered from her momentary shock, feeling touched that Ruka had actually shared this secret with her. Watching him now, gazing outside of the window Asuna just realised how lonely he seemed. A small bird cheerfully chirped from outside the window, seemingly acknowledging the young man. Normally people didn't really talk about their past or exact reasons for them joining the research team. This was mostly because their experiences were quite personal, Natsume and Ruka were the exception though _everybody _knew_ their _story.

"My older sister brother had the life-shortening alice." Uttered Asuna almost too quietly to be heard. Ruka's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting her to share something so intimate. "He had a hospital bed next to the toy-maker Kaname…" Asuna didn't elaborate on the exact alice type her brother had and Ruka didn't push despite his curiosity.

"So that's how you knew Tsubasa-senpai, I just assumed you'd met at the academy." Said Ruka, feeling as though small fragments of a puzzle were piecing themselves together. Despite being the same age and a friend of Tsubasa they had never met Asuna in the academy.

"Yeah, Andou and I weren't in the same homeroom." sighed Asuna, stirring her coffee despite the sugar being long dissolved. Ruka nodded, there really was quite a segregation between classes as they never really mingled with others aside from festivals. "For a while I absolutely hated the life-shortening alice, honestly wishing that there was no such curse… then I met Kaname, he was the polar opposite of my brother. Kaname willingly gave up his life to his alice, despite already having a weak body. Not only that… his alice was gentle… and beautiful. After meeting him I realised that there were still people like Kaname, who would continue to use their alice voluntarily and a better solution would be to help those individuals stay on this earth for as long as possible." The sky had gone dark outside, the winter's sun always set early. "Kaname also taught me… having an alice is neither a curse nor blessing, it's simply a fact of our lives and it is up to us and those around us to make it worthwhile." The two remained silent, Ruka doubted he'd eat dinner tonight unlike the academy, meals at the research faculty were entirely up to the individual. Eating just seemed so petty and insignificant in the grand scheme of things…

"WELL, I'm really sorry Ruka. This was supposed to cheer you up! All I've done is made BOTH of us depressed! I reckon we should watch a film, there'll be no crowds seeing as everyone has plans for tomorrow!" cried Asuna, it was as if she flicked a switch from sad to happy. The smooth transition reminded Ruka of himself whenever someone caught wind of his depression. Perhaps this was why Asuna was so easy to talk to… he felt as though they shared a connection as they both built up walls of fake happiness, caked with false smiles to see the day through.

_Location: Academy_

Hotaru sighed as she walked past the kitchen on the first floor, it was packed with squealing girls melting, baking or packaging their 'romantic' valentines day sweets. This year Hotaru decided not to join in on the festivities. It felt strange after missing out on so many memories lost in the time warp, it was easier to just not participate than lag behind the crowd in an attempt to be included. Of course she would be sending a package to her brother (purely as a customary sign of politeness) and maybe even Ruka… Hotaru hated how confused she felt whenever he popped up in her mind. Looking at the situation practically it was good that he left the academy, despite losing some of her income Ruka was becoming a distraction from her studies (she could no longer cruise along as there was actually new content in class now) however she felt a pang of loneliness whenever Mikan and Natsume went off on their little moments. Yuu was as kind as always, he seemed relieved to have her back… especially when controlling the class. In a way she missed the absurd adventures Mikan sucked them into… the end of the day always seemed to result in Mikan and Natsume trapped alone together whilst Ruka and Hotaru were subsequently grouped to help the couple escape. She had given Ruka the mushroom ear plugs as a way of finding her and her brother not only because he was the only person available… she actually trusted him the most to carry out that kind of task, Mikan and Natsume could be easily distracted or pulled off on some other tangent as they were used to others rushing after their rash moves. Ruka understood that the world didn't evolve around every individual and would be less likely to make stupid decisions in the heat of the moment, making the right one instead… she was unsure what types of trials and tribulations the group had to go through in order to save her and her brother… however the right calls were made somewhere along the way; them living in this time frame was proof enough.

Hotaru had contemplated creating a mind reading machine however found the obscurity to be too difficult… it was easier to place an idea in someone's head and trick them into believing that it was their own thoughts than actually trying to fish out what their actual subconscious is doing. Despite the near impossibility of the project she decided to quiz Koko on how his alice worked, it was interesting nonetheless and she was curious about what he thought of Ruka's thoughts.

The class room was mostly empty, with the few students rostered for cleaning up duty being its only inhabitants.

"Hello Imai, I thought you were scheduled for next week's clean up." Came Yuu's cheerful voice from the whiteboard he was cleaning. Even if Hotaru had cleaning up duty she usually programmed a machine to do her share of work.

"I am, I just wanted to ask Koko some questions for a new project I'm planning." Explained Hotaru walking over to where the mind-reader was wiping windows.

~_You can read my mind can't you, so there's no need for me to actually open my mouth_~ thought Hotaru, looking at Koko expectantly. Koko laughed, he hadn't lost that smile since the day Sumire told him to.

"Sure, sure ask away Imai." He folded the cloth leaving it on the window sill and leaned with his back against the wall, finding it easier to read minds when he saw the person's face.

~ What kind of person is the easiest to mind read ~

"Hmmm, well it depends really… People like Mikan and Permy think pretty loudly so I don't really need to concentrate to tune in on their thoughts. If people who focus really strongly about one thing then the thought becomes really loud… people with a lot of stuff in their mind gets all cluttered like a constant stream of words in a boring monologue." Said Koko thoughtfully.

~ _People like Natsume who actively hide their outwards appearance… are they also hard to mind read?_ ~ asked Hotaru, quickly jotting down notes as Koko talked.

"Hahahah, no people like Natsume are really easy to mind read. Despite his fake hatred, I saw everything he thought about Mikan… it was pretty dirty too." Koko laughed, knowing Hotaru would remain unfazed by his last comment… they all knew it anyway and Hotaru wasn't the kind of girl to blush.

~ _What about Tobita_? ~ Hotaru was systematically going through her list of questions knowing it would be easier to remain calm and collected throughout the interviewing not wanting Koko to catch wind of her heightened curiosity over the questions concerning Ruka.

"Yeah, Inchou is definitely in the boring monologue category, there's so many thoughts going around his head I really wouldn't be bothered sifting through it all." Sighed Koko, behind him Tobita was turning a brilliant shade of pink.

~ _How about someone like Ruka then? _~ Hotaru frowned at the lack of Koko's response, looking up she saw that the mind-reader was indeed pondering her question and not simply letting his own thoughts wonder off to a particular female 'cat-dog-alice' holder.

"Actually, Ruka changed quite a bit… at first, when he arrived at the academy with Natsume Ruka was super boring, always thinking about how not being allowed to smile or some nonsense and Natsume and his animals… Then when Mikan arrived he was more of a Inchoi-type person with his thoughts in a mess. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only person who could read thoughts on Mikan, hahah. I didn't really see Ruka or Natsume when they skipped year levels but Ruka's mind seemed more cryptic… How can I say this? Well Natsume didn't change… but Ruka was a lot more collected with his thoughts… actually, now that you bring it up… he might have been watching out for my mind reading seeing as he only ever thought about school or research when I looked at him." Koko slumped against the wall, as if he was immobilised by exhaustion.

"Ok, thanks Koko." Hotaru jotted down some last points, deciding any more answers her class mate would give were likely to be unsatisfactory for the detail she wanted. Koko fake saluted the class representative and lethargically got on with his window cleaning duties.

Hotaru made sure to only think about food as she left the building, not entirely sure how far Koko's alice worked… So Koko had noticed something changing… but it wasn't really much more than what anyone else would see, by the time Koko met Ruka again he was probably already used to faking everything and was actively preparing himself for being in the mind-reader's presence. A bright and cheery laugh could be heard ahead. Hotaru froze quickly calculating an escape plan, she was just too tired to entertain Mikan today… not only that all Mikan would be talking about would be her perfect date with Natsume tomorrow. As good natured as her friend meant it, Hotaru did not want her own failure of a love life thrown in her face at the moment. Jumping on her duck scooter she made a hasty escape towards her third level room, zooming through the window she left open for these kinds of emergencies. Aaah, peace… despite the pale blush of the sun setting and silent room… Hotaru's heart was feeling anything but peace.

**Author's note: (hahah I feel so pro writing that), I will now list the characters in each chapter for fans who only really want to read about one person… This will mostly be Ruka and Hotaru based at the moment.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Characters:  
>Hotaru<strong>

**Ruka**

**Asuna **

Hotaru finally admitted defeat, after tossing and turning for the past few hours she resigned herself to get out of bed, as sleep was not going to come. The moon was starting to fade as the dark night sky began to brighten on the verge of dawn. ~Woohoo~ she thought to herself miserably, valentines day. No doubt half the girls in the school were also out of bed, in last minute preparation for the calamity which valentines day was at the academy. Hotaru lazily glanced at her bedside clock… 5:46am… she had sent her brother a chocolate parcel the previous day but had faltered with Ruka's. The all too familiar feeling of failure crashed down on her once more… he left… she supposed it was stupid to hope things would return as they were six years ago… Hotaru was a realist, she never truly believed they could live as they once did she wasn't as foolhardy as Mikan. Despite her logical mind, Hotaru couldn't force the aching feeling in her chest to budge. Let Ruka go… she did nothing to stop him leaving the academy to research again, Natsume did nothing to stop his best friend either. Mikan cried a little… but that was expected from her, she was always the most open with her feelings. Hotaru couldn't help but wonder if they were all letting Ruka go because they truly believed it was best for him… or if they simply didn't want to deal with the complications of him staying.

Hotaru sighed once more, glancing at her latest invention. It was pretty much a more advanced version of her duck-mobile, with the ability to travel much faster and the added bonus of a longer battery life. The thought meeting Ruka at the research domain flickered in her mind once more. This would provide the perfect test run for her latest invention… At least that was the reasoning in which Hotaru convinced herself with to meet Ruka.

After a generous helping of a three star's breakfast, Hotaru began her journey towards the research domain. A small fridge was installed into her latest automobile, providing the perfect spot for storing Ruka's chocolate, along with other various snacks which would be needed throughout the ride. Hotaru felt no qualms about skipping school, it wasn't like they were likely to cover any content in their classes as more than half of the cohort would be fanatically dashing around the school, either in pursuit or making a get-away. She also decided to leave without notifying a certain over-excitable brunette. No doubt Mikan would be too preoccupied with her fiancé to actually notice any happenings of the world outside of her dreams.

Ruka awoke to a terrifying shriek… along with the fire alarm which quickly followed in suit, adding to the increasing noise level of the apartment building. Groaning tiredly Ruka hastily pulled on a pair of trousers and an overcoat before striding out of his room towards the fire evacuation meeting point. He was greeted with numerous bleary eyed colleagues, still half asleep on their feet. Asuna winked at Ruka as she walked to the front of the crowd, wearing a fluorescent vest as she was their designated safety officer. Asuna was currently waving a mega-phone in the air to grab the rest of the crowd's attention. It was clear that the building was not going up in flames, leaving a mob of disgruntled scientists wanting to know the meaning behind their loss of sleep.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, this is a false alarm. The smoke detectors were set off by an ah…Co-complication with the oven." Asuna stuttered as she giggled, unable to contain herself apparently finding the situation extremely amusing. Not too far away Kyoko, Asuna's best friend, was turning a brilliant shade of magenta. Her light brown hair was in disarray, along her messy apron and smudges of soot marking her clothing… it wasn't hard to find the culprit for the morning's incident. A sigh of exasperation spread throughout the crowd, knowing all too well that the girl was uncoordinated at the best of times. Luckily, Kyoko would be easily forgiven due to her kind and well-meaning personality. There was an air of hopelessness which seemed to shroud her, bringing out the parental side in most individuals.

Ruka rubbed his eyes, sluggishly turning back towards his room. Asuna jumped up beside him, still grinning about Kyoko's incident.

"So… Whatcha doing tonight?" she asked, comfortably linking arms with her half-asleep friend. Ruka jumped slightly at her touch, not seeing her sneak up on him.

"Uuuh, nothing? It's a Tuesday…?"asked Ruka, perplexed with her question. Today was… ah Valentine's day. That would explain Kyoko's failed cooking attempt, she was no doubt making sweets for her lover. Ruka tensed slightly under Asuna's expectant gaze, they were a dark blue hue. One could almost mistake them as black, however in the early morning light Ruka noticed specks of lilac. Was... was she asking him out on a date? Wasn't the coffee yesterday a sort of unspoken admittance that neither of them had a love life…?

Asuna laughed at his awkwardness. "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to be my valentine. A couple of my single friends invited me to a kind of bachelor's party. Pretty much people who are either hopelessly single, don't give a damn about Valentine's day OR just simply like to party." Now it was Asuna's turn to be worried. Ruka's lack of an answer was making her nervous. "I ah, kinda assumed that you were single from our conversation yesterday… was I wrong? Shit I didn't mean to be rude I just ah-" continued Asuna, being nervous caused her verbal diarrhoea. Ruka's shook his head as he smiled, ending her spout of nonsense.

"Don't worry, I'm not offended at all. You guessed right." Replied Ruka reassuringly. Asuna beamed.

"Great! So you're coming tonight then? I'll walk you to the venue, it's pretty close to our apartments. How about we meet in the lobby at 8pm?" she cried, all previous awkwardness forgotten.

"Uh." Was all Ruka managed to say before Asuna continued.

"Oh, I forgot to send that email… OK see you tonight!" Asuna beamed as she smoothly detaching herself from Ruka to quickly bounding up the stairs, leaving a rather tired and befuddled blonde in her wake. Slapping himself into consciousness, Ruka decided to check his post box before heading up the stairwell. Luckily, the only person who actually knew his current address was Natsume. He felt no regrets about missing his last valentine's day at the academy, this year he was bound to be safe from mounds of chocolates. His fears of poisonous presents littering his mailbox ceased as he neared the empty hallway. Sighing with relief Ruka turned the key, expecting to be greeted with a memo from the professor. A pretty parcel stood in its place. Ruka didn't need to look twice to know who the sender was… the delicate pink blossom wrapping paper… the small bow ornamenting the box… Ruka was quite certain he could recognise Mikan's touch anywhere. Ruka felt as though the air thickened, a smog of despair, guilt and disgust surrounded him once more. He could feel himself slipping, quickly grabbing the parcel and slamming the box shut Ruka hastily escaped to his room. Mercifully, he met no one he knew by name on the way speaking would mean the end of his act.

Ruka found himself slumped against the back of his door once more, trembling slightly. Moving away from the academy was supposed to put distance between himself and Mikan… and the dark feelings which eternally haunted their contact.

_Dear Ruka-pyon,_

_Happy Valentine's day! I'm not sure how they celebrate at the research faculty but please accept this box of chocolates as a dear friend! Please, don't work too hard! Natsume won't say but he's definitely worried about you. We're all concerned, just remember you don't have to be an adult yet! There's still time to come back to the high school and enjoy the last few years with our classmates._

_We're always here for you,_

_Mikan_

Ruka attempted to laugh at his pathetic reaction but only managed to make a strange choking noise. He thought he was slowly recovering, but in truth the distance and time they'd spent apart had only caused his feelings to be bottled up. He felt like a mess, there was no way he could go to Asuna's party in this state… a dark thought crossed his mind… perhaps he did need a party to try and forget… or more specifically, vast amounts of alcohol.

Hotaru's hiding spot was perfect… the hallway of Ruka's unit was decorated with indoor pot plants. All she needed to do was utilise another of her inventions. It pretty much took a photograph of an object and displayed the image to passer-byers, like a holograph. So Hotaru was currently sitting beside Ruka's door… posed as a pot plant… in wait…

She checked her watch again and groaned inwardly, it was already 7:50pm! Just how late did this guy work! Unless… it felt as though a stone had dropped in Hotaru's stomach, what if Ruka had a valentine? It wasn't too far-fetched… his looks alone could gather a large fan girl group, let alone his polite personality. Any girl would fall for him. Hotaru slapped herself, there was no way she could be so fickle and easily swooned by such typical characteristics! No… Ruka wasn't the person everyone saw. That was his illusion, the perfect prince completely supportive of his best friend in finding his true love. Perhaps that's what attracted Hotaru to Ruka, their shared unrequited love of Mikan.

It was getting dark, Hotaru knew she should have been travelling back to the academy if she wanted more than three hours of sleep.

"RUKA! What? You're NOT wearing that! Come on! At least change into a shirt that doesn't need a tie, you'll look like a waiter!" called a lively voice from below. Hotaru gasped, hearing his bounding footsteps up the stairwell. Her voice hitched in her throat as Ruka approached his apartment, unable to move. He was gone in a breeze leaving as quickly as he came, leaving her feeling pathetically hopeless.

It was well after midnight before Hotaru heard the same girl's voice. Most of the inhabitants on Ruka's floor had already returned to their apartments. She had been voyeuristically watching the blushing girls, euphoric boys and of course there was also the crying individual. She felt as though the world outside was separate, as if the world was continuing to spin in time while she was once more stuck… unable to move forward. The thought of returning to the academy was pushed to the back of her mind. She had already accepted her feelings towards Ruka, she was also fully aware of the heartbreak they brought with them… Ruka was in love with Mikan who was also ironically in love with his best friend.

"Jeez! Just how much did you drink?" complained Asuna, struggling slightly to hold up Ruka whose arm was slung around her shoulders. The pair paused after climbing the stairwell, both exhausted from the feat.

Hotaru felt herself tense, was this girl only a friend of Ruka's? She immediately felt a pang of jealousy, seeing another woman in such close proximity to him. It also felt as if she was intruding on them, watching something which should have been private… Since when did Ruka drink? More importantly why was he standing so close to this girl? The girl's laughter signified the two slowly stumbling down the hall way to his apartment, there was a certain glow around her… It was the same sort of charm which hung around Mikan. Pleasant, easy to approach… almost everything which did not represent Hotaru.

Suddenly the girl let out a yelp of surprise, apparently due to losing her footing. The pair ungracefully crashed into the wall, ending up with Ruka supporting his purple-haired partner. The girl laughed again, lingering in his arms longer than Hotaru was comfortable with.

"Asuna…" Ruka spoke so quietly, Hotaru strained her ears to listen. The atmosphere changed, causing a stillness and both girls' hearts to beat rapidly. Asuna said nothing, gazing up into Ruka's blue eyes. He seemed so open and vulnerable, the alcohol allowing his fake farce to collapse. Feeling his intensity made her blush, acutely aware of how their bodies were pressed against one another. "I'm sorry." He breathed. Asuna shook her head.

"There's no nee-.." Asuna was cut off, gasping slightly as Ruka leaned down to kiss her. She felt her hands tighten unconsciously around his arms as he pulled her into a tighter embrace. Despite their minds wandering endlessly, their bodies reminded the pair to breath, breaking off the kiss.

"I'm sorry" whispered Ruka into Asuna's ear, "I'm so sorry, shit I'm such a mess. Ignore that, ignore me… fuck." Ruka began to pull back, regretting his rash actions.

"Don't." replied Asuna, keeping her hold on Ruka to stop him from drawing back. "Don't apologise… You never need to apologise… my brother, he… he never forgave himself, I-I think his self-loathing was the last push… The things he loved in life couldn't over power the disgust and hate he felt… for his alice… for his actions… for the times he stood by and did nothing… Please, Ruka promise me… promise me you won't give up." Asuna choked slightly, speaking against his chest, refusing to let go. Slowly Ruka relaxed, resting his cheek against her head and closing his eyes.

Hotaru watched in silence, not moving an inch. Most girls in this situation would run screaming with tears in their eyes… that was stupid, fleeing would only lead to future awkward conversations. Hotaru was a realist… a trait often mistaken for pessimism, the chances of Ruka reaching out for her help were slim… whilst the likelihood of him finding another girl, impartial to their friendship group was high. This girl… Asuna, she was definitely his type, the short time which Hotaru had spent watching them was enough. Bright, cheerful… beautiful… expressive.

Hotaru glanced down at the chocolate package she made, considering her options. Was there any point anymore? Should she leave it by his doorway? Should she fight back? No… How could she win?

Of course Ruka would reach out to an individual to mend his broken heart.

Of course she would be benevolent and compassionate.

Of course… she would never be me…


	6. Chapter 6

Asuna

Luca - Just realised this is the English way of writing Nogi's name... as 'Ruka' is 'Luca' in a Jap accent...

Asuna paused with one hand on the stairwell's bannister, unsure on whether it was too hasty. If she should

wait until later to see Luca.

"Excuse me." Called out one of the building's tenants, slightly annoyed at her blocking the stairwell.  
>"Sorry!" Exclaimed Asuna turning slightly red from her obliviousness, jumping to the side in order to let<p>

him pass. What was she doing?! She'd already come this far, it'd be foolish to run away now. Steeling her nerves,

she climbed the stairs in determination.

Asuna sighed, unconsciously flipping back her fringe. It was a nervous habit of hers. She slowly walked

towards his door, silently berating herself for being timorous. She felt herself flush, standing before his room

acutely aware of the warm air-conditioning, walking up the stairs didn't do her any favours either. She pushed

back her hair again, deciding to remove her scarf and over coat she was strongly against knocking on his door with

the complection of a beetroot. With her puffy, white coat and multi-coloured dotted scarf over one arm Asuna held

up one fingerlessly gloved hand to the door, poised to knock. She felt her previous bravado evade her along with

her jacket and scarf. Asuna closed her eyes, letting her head droop downwards. What really happened yesterday? Was

she reading too deeply into his actions? He was drunk... really drunk, it wasn't recreational Ruka was definitely

not the kind of guy who'd drink himself senseless for the heck of it. It wasn't hard to work out, he was

depressed, he wanted to forget something... and she was company a shoulder to cry on. Asuna sighed again, she

honestly wasn't looking for a lover, thought she'd sort out her own shit before trying to help someone else.

That's what a relationship was, when it came down to it... someone you struggle through life with.

Sighing and knocking her forhead instead of the door with her fist, Asuna finally opened her eyes. A small

purple package was delicately placed on Luca's doorstep. Hesitating slightly, she bent down to pick up the

present.

'To Luca', the label read. Written in a simple, elegant font. There was no doubt this was a valentines

chocolate parcel. Asuna paused, feeling empty... Her alice was classed under 'special ablities', she could see and

feel the sentiments of others through their articles. Emotions for Asuna were an array of colours, on a spectrum

so vast it had taken her life to learn their meanings. Of course, it was a trivial alice... not one to perk the

interest of underground movements in the academy. Her brother made sure they wouldn't cast a second glance at her,

working hard as if he could sacrifice himself for both of them... It was in vain, her alice was useless.

This girl... Asuna flipped the card over, Hotaru. She was in love. The package was a jumble of pigments,

merging together to form something beautiful... Confusion, Anger, Anxiety, Embarrassment, Happiness...

Jealousy

Asuna frowned, unsure if this was her own emotion. Sometimes she got confused with the owner's feelings if

she held on for too long or lost concentration. It was a small package... easily fitting under her jacket or even

in her pocket...

Suddenly the door opened, causing her to jump backwards and drop the package. Asuna froze, her gaze

meeting Luca's startled, slightly blood-shot eyes.

"A-Asuna? Wh- Why're are you here?" slurred Luca, he was still obviously nursing a hangover.

"Look! Package! Doorstep! Yours!" cried Asuna, nonscencically bending over to pick up Hotaru's gift.

"Here!" She beamed, holding out the purple package. Needless to say, Luca was bewildered.

"Th-thanks... I guess." Murmured Luca, leaning against the doorway feeling slightly crippled from his

hangover. Luca frowned as he turned over the purple gift in his hands.

"Soooo! Whose Hotaru?" Asked Asuna sneakily, shuffling closer.

"Huh? What?!" exclaimed Luca, fumbling at the parcel's tag. Huh... so it was Hotaru. Luca frowned

slightly, unsure about how this made him feel. He supposed he felt grateful, however that feeling was tainted with

guilt. Asuna leaned in closer, tentatively regarding his expressions. His flushed face had faded to its original

tone, his eyes hardening and lips setting in a taught line.

"Are you ok? Luca?" asked Asuna, worriedly. Luca jumped slightly, his blush hastily returning upon

realising the close proximity of their faces.

"Y-yeah, of course I'm fine. Just a little hang over." laughed Luca, straightening up to distance himself

from her and scratching the back of his head nervously. Asuna lifted an eyebrow in dissaproval.

"Yes, not impressed with the alcohol consumption last night." drawled Asuna condescendingly. Luca nodded

apologetically.

"Asuna, last night I-" began Luca in a serious tone.

"No, don't... Let's just, how about we put that behind us for now... I don't think it'd be a good idea to

go somewhere we can't return from... Not now at least, we're complicated." she said slowly, cutting him off in an

equally as earnest voice. Luca nodded, relieved but slightly dissapointed. He respected her decision, it would

have been selfish to demand anything more as he wasn't entirely sure of his justifications for going after her.

Was Asuna simply a distraction from his aching heart? Or was she actually the beginning of his amelioration.

"SHIT!" Exclaimed Luca suddenly, checking his watch. "It's 10:30 already! I'm late, wait you're late!

We're late!" He cried, dashing into his apartment to put down Hotaru's package and grab his bag. Asuna bowed over

laughing, gripping her sides to stop herself from trembling too much.

"Calm down Nogi! Honestly, do you think I'd be here if we needed to work today? Your face though!" giggled

Asuna. Luca sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes in frustration and fatigue.

"Ok, ok what's the news?" asked Luca, vaguely curious about why they were given an impromptu holiday.

"There was a burst in the pipeline, the entire lab has been flooded. SO we simply can't work until the

plumbers mend the problems!" cried Asuna gleefully, obviously not feeling any regrets about the situation. Luca

nodded, finding it slightly difficult to formulate sentences with a relentless pounding in his head. For the first

time that morning he actually took in his friend's appearance. Her polka dot scarf and blue coat hung over one arm

and she wore a simple grey cartigan over a black skirt. Asuna was currently flicking back her fringe, causing

ripples to form in her long dark purple hair.

"Wh-what!" exclaimed Asuna, feeling embarrased by his stare.

"Sorry, I- I'm gonna take a shower. Um... would you like to come in? It's a little cramped but... yeah."

mummbled Luca, avoiding her own azure eyes. Asuna nodded and stepped into his apartment.

"OH! But, firstly! You must open your valentine's gift!" she exclaimed, placing the package once more in

his hands. Luca tentively started to unwrap the box, feeling the pressure of Asuna's curiosity and a sense of

impending doom... Hotaru Imai was not the kind to readily gave gifts. Inside the box was a chocolate horse... a

figure of a chocolate mechanical horse. For some reason it reminded Luca of something... he just couldn't quite

put his finger on it... "Hey look! There's another note!" whispered Asuna excitedly, feeling as if the mood

required frantic whispers. True enough, there was another memo. It was written again with Hotaru's hand.

_ There was once a boy who tamed a metal horse._  
><em> Don't forget the person who used to care.<em>

Her handwriting was exactly the same, mused Luca thinking of his own almost illegible scrawl. How did she

remember? The Borrowing race was almost 7 years ago... no for Hotaru it would be more like 6 years. Her hours

spent in the time warp were years on earth...

Asuna, couldn't help but grin at the small smile lighting up Luca's face. It was decided! Whoever this

girl Hotaru was, she would strive her hardest to get them together! As attractive as Luca was... Asuna couldn't

help but feel guilty at the memory of kissing Luca. As if she was betraying her first love... Kaname Sono.

Luca's mobile rang, causing Asuna to have a semi-mental breakdown over what she should do. Should I pick

up? Should I leave it for his answering machine? What if it's super important? Maybe I should hand the phone to

Luca... NO HE'S TAKING A SHOWER WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ASUNA?! Deciding to pick up for him, Asuna picked up the

call.

"Hello?" She asked tentively.

"Lu-Luca? Um I'm sorry do I have the wrong number?" asked a girl's voice. It was polite and sweet,

immediately making Asuna think of a middle schooler.

"Yes, I mean no! This is Luca's phone, sorry he's taking a shower at the moment." replied Asuna, feeling

slightly flustered. The girl on the other side said nothing, leaving an empty line filled with static.

"Oh, a-are you two living together or..?" asked the girl after an awkward moment.

"WHAT! No, no! Sorry I'm just a friend, we're not living together! We're not even staying in the same

building! Gosh where are my manners, I'm Asuna." she cried, only then realising the implications of her previous

sentence.

"Oh, ok then sorry! Yeah I'm Mikan, nice to meet you. I'm so relieved I thought Luca didn't have any

friends at the research institute. Thanks for taking care of him! We're super worried about him all the time, all

alone... but he isn't anymore! I'm glad. Could you tell him... actually, would you like to come with us to the new

theme park this Saturday? Apparently it just opened last weekend! We can all go together, I'd really like to meet

you Asuna!" said Mikan, Asuna could almost hear her smiling across the phone.

"Of course! I'd be glad to come." replied Asuna, formulating a plan. "Will Hotaru be there?" she asked

slyly.

"Eeh? Hotaru, of course she will... How did you know about her?" asked Mikan, obviously surprised.

"I think Luca might've mentioned her once, it'd be nice to meet all of his high school friends! Like a

reunion." said Asuna, covering up any suspicions Mikan might be having.

"Exactly! I feel like we're already best friends Asuna! Make sure Luca comes, we're meeting at the front

gate at 10:00am. See you soon!" said Mikan excitedly.

"Sure! Don't worry he'll be there!" assured Asuna, hanging up.

"Who was that?" asked Luca, drying his hair on a towel. Asuna jumped slightly, not hearing him creep up

behind her. "Hey wait, is that my phone?" exclaimed Luca, pointing at the mobile in her hand.

"Yeah, Mikan invited us to come to the new theme park! Well sort of demanded for you to come." smiled

Asuna, handing his mobile back. "We're meetin up on Saturday at 10am. I assured her that you'd be coming, this is

more of an infomative message than a request. You're definitely joining us." she said, walking out of his door

before he could reply.

Oh yes, she could almost feel the cupids stretching their little bows. This would be the perfect date...

**HI, sorry for any grammatical errors hehhe didn't have time to edit. Just warning there may be some time before I can update. Thanks for reading!**

**Oh, if any readers don't understand the 'metal horse' reference, read the Manga, Borrowing race chapter (highly recommend).**


	7. Chapter 7

** Characters:**

**Luca Nogi (I was told to use Ruka instead of Luca… however my pride in the proper etiquette of name-translation will not allow me to. I'm sorry if this offends any readers) **

**Asuna Hashimoto (woohoo found a random second name to make the character more legit)**

**Mikan Sakura**

**Natsume Hyuuga**

**Hotaru Imai**

**Nonoko Ogasawara**

**Anna Umenomiya**

**Sumire Shouda**

**Note: This chapter contains sexual **_**references **_**no lemon… but mature inferences.**

"Come on Hotaru! It'll be fun!" nagged Mikan, pulling on her friend's arm. Hotaru let out a long sigh, her patience waning thin.

"Mikan. I told you before, I have neither the time nor brain cells to lose at a drinking party." murmured Hotaru, too tired to be threatening. Earlier in the week, the pair had been invited to Nonoko's 18th birthday party, needless to say… large volumes of alcohol would be present. Hotaru knew it would be a good idea to catch up with the times, not entirely sure if her ten-year old knowledge of social interaction was enough to get by with. Now that she was nearly an adult, having lost 6 years… Just another troublesome thought plaguing her already messed up life.

Despite this, she couldn't bring herself to simply 'let go' or 'have fun', especially after watching some girl eating Luca's face off! No… thought Hotaru catching herself, Luca was the one to kiss that girl… this thought was far from comforting.

"Is something wrong Hotaru?" asked Mikan, Hotaru look up to be confronted by her friend's large brown eyes, filled with concern. The two had fallen into an easy pace, Mikan clinging comfortably on Hotaru's arm. "I'm sorry, really I've been an awful friend! Have… have I been neglecting you? I mean… it was alright before, you had Luca to talk to, but now! He's all the way in the research faculty! And, and I've just been spending time with Natsume and ignoring you! It's not acceptable! Really! I'm calling myself your best friend but all I-" cried Mikan, tears streaming down her face in distress.

"Shut up ugly." Said Hotaru, cutting Mikan off with an air of annoyance. Mikan's sympathy was the last thing she wanted. The reason for everything she had done was to keep that innocent smile on Mikan's face, to ensure that tears would be forever banished and her to never feel upset. Of course, she'd never admit this to her best friend… it was simply easier to insult her crying face than to open up and explain why her frown was enough to tear the hearts of those who cared for her.

"Hey stupid." Called Natsume's voice affectionately. Neither of them had noticed him falling into step with their pace.

"Natsume!" beamed Mikan, ready to jump into her fiancé's arms. She stopped in mid-step, cursing the bad habits she had gotten herself into. Just a few moments ago she apologised for neglecting her best friend and now she was getting ready to run off again with her fiancé! Natsume frowned, feeling slightly peeved at her reluctance to embrace him. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't jealous… and failed pitifully.

"What're you trying to think about? I can practically hear the cogs in your brain coming loose." Drawled Natsume, like Hotaru he found it easier to simply throw insults at the girl as they bounced off her thick skin with equal ease.

"Not you too!" complained Mikan, starting to feel the repercussions of having only Hotaru and Natsume for company. She missed Luca and his kind words. "I really miss Luca." She sighed, leaning her head on Hotaru's shoulder. It used to be an extremely rare act for the two friends however ever since she escaped the time warp, Hotaru had mellowed quite a bit when it came to the brunette.

The three friends, continued in silence each caught up in their own concerns centred around the same person.

"Natsume." Said Mikan suddenly, "I can't spend time with you anymore." Natsume stopped in his tracks, his gaze quickly snapping up trying to catch her eyes.

"What, do you mean." He asked, in a low voice it was an awkward tone, trying to sound apathetic but breaking slightly, showing a sliver of the emotion he was trying so hard to disguise. Mikan's eyes widened, not meaning for Natsume to get the wrong idea. Why was she always so pathetic with her sentence orders! She had known how anxious Natsume was when it came to Luca, both friends loved the same girl and her fiancé still had a hard time convincing himself that Mikan had chosen him and not his best friend.

"Calm down moody, she's just being paranoid again. For some reason I'm even more antisocial and lonely since you two were engaged." Sighed Hotaru, the master of monotones. Natsume let out a breath he didn't know was held. Whilst Mikan nodded furiously. "Honestly Mikan, don't jeopardise your relationship, think a bit about the number of people who tried so hard to make it work." Continued Hotaru, "I'm fine, now run along and comfort your emotionally unstable boyfriend."

Natsume bristled at the insult, swallowing his pride. He owed his life to Imai.

"NO, no, no no!" shouted Mikan, shaking her head at each word to ensure the emphasis. "I am not spending a second more with Natsume than with you Hotaru!" determined to stand her ground. Hotaru sighed, feeling irritated with the company, she wanted to be alone. "You have to come to Anna's party tomorrow! That's decided! No more times when Natsume and I go off alone, every meal time we'll stay as a group! Any group project we'll be together! Every sport team-" she rattled on, counting her rules of by tapping her fingers.

"What about your date with Natsume tomorrow?" asked Hotaru. Mikan's jaw dropped, her neck clicking uncannily as her head turned to her boyfriend. Natsume simply cocked an eyebrow, wondering how she would handle the many promises she had made for the same date. "Look, Mikan. I'll be fine really, just leave me alone." Said Hotaru, trying to peel Mikan off her arm.

"NO! Natsume I'm sorry, we'll just have to rebook the restaurant for another day." Said Mikan nodding her head. "I promised Hotaru she wouldn't be alone, and I plan to keep to my word."

"You do know, I'll lose 50 Rabbits for booking the table." Chided Natsume. "Look, if you're really worried about Hotaru being alone, make sure she goes to Anna's party that way she'll be with people and I wouldn't be 50 rabbits poorer." He said diplomatically. Hotaru's stare shot daggers in Natsume's direction, she did not appreciate his annoyingly logical input.

"Yes! Ok, I'm sure Anna wouldn't mind… I'll just arrive a little later to her party then." Mikan grinned, feeling exceptionally pleased with herself. Hotaru opened her mouth, about to argue with the lack of acceptance on her part but stopped herself. All she wanted was to keep that smile on Mikan's face… surely she could give her friend this one favour and put her worries at ease.

So, her momentary lapse of generosity had resulted in Hotaru's current predicament. Being pushed, none to gently, by Mikan into Anna's room.

"Hotaru! Mikan! Glad you guys could make it! Nonoko's already here." Smiled Anna, her untameable mass of pink hair tied up in a messy bun.

"Ooh, Mikan's here? I thought she had that date with Natsume." Called Nonoko, peering in from around a corner. Unlike her friend, Nonoko had a much easier time managing her hair which was long and straight, still reaching her waist. Mikan beamed, waving at the two deciding it was safe enough to hold Hotaru with one hand.

"Yeah, I'm still going with Natsume. I promise I'll be back later though! Make sure Hotaru sticks around." Said Mikan hastily, checking her watch. "Oh, I need to go… See you soon!" She checked her appearance once more in Anna's mirror, conveniently placed at the room's entrance. She wore a red and white dress, dotted with polka dots, it had become a sort of ongoing joke with her fiancé, as the pattern symbolised the first day they had met. She blushed thinking of her lingerie choice… which was, ahhh matching.

"Mikan." Stated Sumire, just arriving. Their friendship was more out of mutual respect than anything else, or that's what Sumire wanted everyone to think anyway.

"Hello Permy!" greeted Mikan, patting her hair more out of habit than actually neatening.

"I think you'd better be on your way, I passed a rather impatient fire-alice user on the way up." She said shooing Mikan out of the door. "Come, on quickly now. Tardiness is unacceptable for dates, it shows your lack of compassion for the other partner." Said Sumire irritably. Mikan gasped.

"What? Really? But, Natsume never really said anything! I- I'm always slightly late…" whispered Mikan, shocked at how rude she had been. Sumire rolled her eyes, giving Mikan one final push out of the doorway.

"I expect a full detailed account on tonight's dinner, now shoo." Warned Sumire before slamming the door behind Mikan.

"Permy! Glad you're here." Smiled Anna, gesturing for Hotaru and Sumire to walk into the living room. Sumire glared at Anna, not amused with her naming choices, resulting in Anna giggling evilly.

Anna was now a two star, allowing for her to have a kitchen built into her room. It was less fancy than Hotaru's and Nonoko's laboratories but impressive none the less. Hotaru was glad Anna was the one hosting, for the calibre of party food was much higher than anyone else from their class. The evening was much better than Hotaru feared, the food was good, company amusing and she was quite sure alcohol was a key factor in the enjoyment. Turned out Nonoko was an extreme light weight, being reduced to a giggling mess after two drinks, Anna and Sumire appeared to hold their alcohol better as Hotaru was able to still communicate in semi-logical conversations.

"I know! Let's play, truth or daaaaaaare!" cried Sumire, downing the last of her vodka cruiser before placing it in the centre of the group. They had long since left the civility of furniture in favour of the floor, deciding the effort of consciously sitting on a chair was too much of a bother. "Birthday girl gets the first say!" she slurred, pushing Anna's shoulder. Anna laughed, clumsily spinning the bottle, its neck stopping towards Sumire.

"Soooo, Sumire." She said sneakily. "How far have you gotten with Koko?" grinning at her friend's obvious discomfort.

"No, no hang on hang on guys." Came Nonoko's tired murmur, waving her hand to attract their attention. "Hotaru needs to be brought up to date with this stuff!"

"Yes! Good idea! Ok Sumire, you go first then!" cheered Anna, clapping her hands together. Sumire laughed nervously.

"There's not really much to say…" she started, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

"Sheesh! You're pathetic, ok, ok. I'll tell her then." Ridiculed Anna, tapping Hotaru's leg to grab her full attention. "SO, it's pretty cute actually. Koko always kinda followed Sumire around ya know? I actually thought that they were already together before Mikan left! But this stubborn girl was against them being a 'thing'. Koko realised Sumire was scared of his alice, thinking it was more of a one-sided relationship and that she'd never be able to keep up being unable to read his mind. He stopped following her for the entire Alice festival one year, well Koko was in the Latent Ability whilst Sumire was Somatic but even in class they didn't talk. Hahah, Sumire was such a mess, she came crying to Nonoko and I almost everyday!" laughed Anna, thoroughly enjoying embarrassing her friend.

"I did not!" exclaimed Sumire, trying to take back her pride.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, I'm not finished yet." Said Anna dismissively. "On the last night of the Alice festival, Koko comes up to Sumire and gives her a gift box filled with parcels. Sumire ignores him at first but he reads her mind aloud, saying how curious she actually is. In every parcel Koko had wrapped his alice stone (which was bright yellow) and whispered something to her. We still don't know what he said… but they danced the last dance together and they've been the steadiest couple in our year since!" sighed Anna, lost in the romance.

"Oh! Sumire, your truth! Tell us what he said." cried Nonoko, sitting up suddenly swaying precariously from the drink.

"Wait a second, I didn't even choose truth of dare!" shouted Sumire.

"Ok, then I dare you to take our truth." Giggled Anna. Sumire slapped her forehead, she was surrounded.

"He said…." Mumbled Sumire, unable to look at her friends.

"I'm sorry Sumire, could you repeat that?" asked Hotaru, sneaking recording device next to the blushing teen.

"He said, his alice was as much mine as his and everyday he'd make a stone to prove that he has nothing to hide and the only thing I'd be reading in his mind were my own thoughts because I'm all he ever thinks about anyway." She whispered hurriedly, any guy would find this undecipherable… but they were all teenage girls and mumble-whisper talk was second nature to them all. "Ok Anna, my turn to tell Hotaru about _your_ love life!" grinned Sumire, it was payback time. Anna blushed furiously, putting a tomato to shame.

"Anna isn't in a relationship at the moment is she?" asked Hotaru, not remembering any reference to her boyfriend.

"No, not anymore. For a time though, she was dating the school's prince." Laughed Sumire. Hotaru must have looked confused, it was the alcohol she found it hard to control her expressions, for Nonoko added.

"Luucaaa Noooogi!" sang Nonoko, laughing at Anna hiding her face with her hands. Hotaru couldn't help the shocked expression appearing on her face, to be fair she wasn't quite sure if she'd be able to hide her surprise without the influence of alcohol.

"They started going out about a week after the alice festival, scheming witch me and Koko just got together. You worked fast Anna." Said Sumire slyly.

"It started before that actually!" chirped Nonoko, happily spreading her best friend's secrets. Sumire simply raised an eyebrow at Anna.

"Woah, I'm not sure whether I should be annoyed or proud with you, Anna. Pretending to comfort me about Koko, whilst taking advantage of my lessened defence around Luca." Queered Sumire, her crooked smile showing her ever so slight lean towards the latter emotion.

"It wasn't like that honestly!" cried Anna, desperately shaking Hotaru's arm, trying to convince the only person in the room who didn't already have an opinion. "Luca was helping me out with French, he's easily the best person in the year let alone our class you know, being a halfie (half French half Jap) and all. For a while I was considering moving to the academy's French campus, their cooking facilities are amazing. So I asked Luca to help me out… and one thing kinda led to another and…" Anna trailed off, as did Hotaru's thoughts. Nonoko and Sumire continued to tease Anna but it turned into background noise for her. She shouldn't be too surprised that Luca had gotten together with someone in the past six years. It just came as a shock that she'd known his first girl.

"So, did you ever give head?" asked Sumire casually. Anna coughed, she had _not_ expected that turn in the conversation. They had well and truly surpassed the cutesie first kiss stories. Hotaru's eyes widened, not entirely sure if this was out of her depth.

"Stop it Sumire, Hotaru is still innocent! We must keep her pure!" cried Nonoko. Placing her hands over Hotaru's ears protectively.

"Come on Nonoko," joked Sumire, "she's gonna learn sooner or later, and I'd prefer her to learn from us rather than be shocked by some guy!" she said whilst peeling Nonoko away, not hard seeing as the latter was entirely off her face.

"Well little Imai, I shall give you a crash course on sex education! 'Giving head' or a 'blow job' is oral sex." Sumire frowned for a second as she gathered her thoughts, "When us young ladies, or gents either way, put our mouths on a guy's cock and suck repeatedly until they reach orgasm." Anna raised an eyebrow at Sumire's textbook definition. "What? Hotaru is an intellectual type, this is easier for her to understand." Explained Sumire completely unabashed, Nonoko rolled her eyes trust her to be so blatant.

"How're you going there Hotaru?" asked Nonoko, worried that they might have mentally scarred the girl. Hotaru simply looked at her, a lack of emotion evident on her face.

"Sumire! Look at what you've done! Hotaru's in shock!" cried Anna dramatically shaking her friend. Sumire sighed, feeling slightly dizzy from rocking backwards and forwards.

"Hey! Don't change the subject! Hotaru is fine, she's always like that." Pointed out Sumire batting away Anna's hands. "It's a simple question, which only needs a yes or no answer. Did. You. Give. Luca. A blowjob?" she asked patiently.

"Why do you want to know!? What kind of question is that anyway?!" shrieked Anna, once again turning a lurid shade of red.

"I just want to know! No answer means yes, you haven't actually denied anything yet." Chided Sumire.

"We-well have you ever given Koko a blowjob?" asked Anna, giving her friend a taste of her own medicine.

"Yes." Replied Sumire unabashed, "What? We've been going out for years, it's not like everyone thinks I'm a virgin." She continued. "Are you a virgin? You were going out with Luca for a few months…" Anna said nothing, twisting a bottle nervously in her hands. Sumire grinned, "Come on! You should be proud, not many girls can brag about losing their virginity to Luca Nogi." She laughed as Anna bashed her head on the floor.

"This is so embarrassing. Don't judge Hotaru please!" she whimpered. Hotaru said nothing, maybe Nonoko was right… she did feel slightly shell shocked, but not for the conversation's contents… just more who they were talking about.

"What happened to you guys then?" asked Hotaru, curious as to what stopped their relationship. Anna sat up, smiling ruefully.

"It was sorta mutual. I was definitely the one to start the relationship, I went in knowing he had feelings for Mikan… I just hoped I'd be enough for him to forget her." She sighed, a distant look in her eyes. Hotaru nodded understandably, Anna had a kind heart thinking about it from an outsider's view, they seemed like they would make a steady couple. "In the end, I could tell neither of us were really content with the situation… I wasn't the girl he really wanted… and I wasn't content with being second best anymore…" the room went quiet, it wasn't an awkward silence more of a gap in the conversation paying tribute to a lost love.

**Thanks for reading, if there're any side characters which you'd like a story on (or life at the academy without Mikan and Hotaru in general) please tell me.**

**(I also apologise if the next updates are irregular)**


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